Animal capturing device



Aug. 6, 1963 H. ARNDT ANIMAL CAPTURING DEVICE Filed Nov. 21, 1960 re ttes My invention relates to new and useful improvements in animal capturing devices, particularly devices adapted to capture farm animals such as hogs and fowl.

About the only capturing device for domestic animals is the well known shepherds crook and while this may be suitable for use with sheep, it is not too satisfactory when used on hogs due to the fact that the configuration of the leg of a hog makes it easy for the 'hog to step out of the crook.

Also when catching fowl such as chickens, it is necessary to engage both legs with the crook whereupon the fowl loses its balance and the legs readily become disengaged from the crook.

I have overcome these disadvantages by providing a crook having leg engaging cords which may be tightened around the leg or legs of the animal against a spring loaded lever thus making it difficult for the animal to escape the crook yet at the same time enabling the operafor to release the animal when it is desired.

The principal object and essence of my invention is therefore to provide a device of the character herewithin described whereby farm animals such as hogs or fowl may readily be captured without damage occurring thereto.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described in which the leg engaging portion automatically adjusts to the size of leg within the limits of the device.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which is simple in construction, economical in manufacture, and otherwise well suited to the purpose for which it is designed.

With the foregoing objects in View, and such other objects and advantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates as this specification proceeds, my invention consists essentially in the arrangement and construction of pants all as hereinafter more particularly described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of my device.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the actuating lever.

FIGURE 3 shows the actuating lever and cord of my device around a leg with the frame of the device removed for clarity.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding par-ts in the different figures.

Proceeding therefore to describe my invention in detail, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings in which I have provided an elongated handle portion having a counter larcuated crook element 11 secured at one end thereof.

Said counter arcuated crook element consists of a pair of rods 12 counter arcuated as at 13 so that the outer ends 14 thereof lie parallel with the principal portions 15 but spaced apart to form the leg engaging opening 16.

Cross bars 17 span the rods 11 at intervals and not only maintain the rods in their desired parallel relationship one with the other, but act as stops and anchors as will hereinafter become apparent.

A pivot pin 18 spans the ends 119 of the counter arcuated rods and mounts an actuating lever 20 for pivotal movement thereon.

This actuating lever 20 is secured by one end thereof Patented Aug. 6, 1963 around the pivot and includes a counter arcuated portion 21 formed integrally therewith which acts as a spring anchor lever.

A spring 22 extends between the extremity 23" of this lever 21 and one of the cross bars 17 spanning the rods 11. This spring normally maintains the lever 20 substantially parallel with the main portions 15 of the rods 11 as clearly shown in FIGURE 1.

A pair of leg engaging cords 23 are secured by one end thereof to a cross bar 24 adjacent the handle 10 and extend parallel to the portions 15 of the rods and are tied to these main portions as indicated at 25.

These cords then loop loosely and converge to a common anchoring point on the outer end 26 of the actuating lever 20, so that the cord loops 27 span loosely the gap 16 between the ends 19 of the rod portions 14 and the portions of the rods :15 directly opposite thereto.

In operation, these loose loops 27 are engaged around the leg or legs 28 of the animal whereupon movement of the handle in the direction of arrow 29 or, of course, movement of the animal away from the operator, causes the loops to move towards the arcuate portions 13 thus pulling down the lever 20 pivoting upon pin 18 against pressure of spring 22.

The actuating lever takes up the position shown in full line in FIGURE 3 and if the animal struggles further, moves in the direction of arrow 36 to taloe up the position shown in phantom line thus wrapping the cords completely around the leg or legs 28.

As soon as it is desired to release the animal, the device is moved towards the animal in a direction opposite to arrow 29 thus permitting spring 22 to reverse the position of the actuating lever and return it to the position shown in FIGURE 1 thus opening the cords and allowing the animal to escape readily.

Since various modifications can be made in my invention as hereinabove described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims without departing from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall .be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A 'device for catching and holding an animals leg, comprising in combination a frame comprising a pair of spaced parallel J-shaped side members and a plurality of spaced cross bars rigidly connecting the same together, said side members including relatively long arm portions, relatively short arm portions and connecting bight portions, a handle secured to outer ends of the long arm portions of said side members, a fulcrum pin extending trans- --versely between outer ends of the short arm portions of said side members, a swingable lever mounted intermediate its ends on said fulcrum pin, said lever having first and second limbs and being swingable firom an open position wherein the first limb thereof projects substantially longitudinally outwardly from the outer ends of said short arm portions to a closing position wherein said first limb is received in and projects through the space between said long arm portions of the side members, resilient means connected to the second limb of said lever and biasing the same to its open position, and a pair of flexible leg engaging cords secured at one end thereof to the respective long arm portions at points substantially opposite the outer ends of the short arm portions of the side members, the other end portions of said cords being mutually convergent and anchored at a common point to the free end portion of said first limb of said lever, whereby the cords may be wrapped around an animals leg by swinging of the lever to its closing position against the action of said resilient means.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein one of of to said second limb and anchored at its other end to said -cross bars of said frame is engageable by and'proe. another one. of.the. cross bars ofsaid frame. vides abutment means for the second limb of said lever g L 1 iw f ih f References Cited in the file of this patent e evlce as e ne m 0 am. w erem one 0 sai 5 cross bars of said-frame is engageable by and provides UNITED STATES PATENTS abutment means for the second limb of said lever when 404,583 Wickham June 4, 1889 the latter is in its openposition, said resilient means 640,199 Holland 1911.2, 1900 comprising a tension spring connected at one end there- 884,156 Hitt Apr. 7, 1908 

1. A DEVICE FOR CATCHING AND HOLDING AN ANIMAL''S LEG, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A FRAME COMPRISING A PAIR OF SPACED PARALLEL J-SHAPED SIDE MEMBERS AND A PLURALITY OF SPACED CROSS BARS RIGIDLY CONNECTING THE SAME TOGETHER, SAID SIDE MEMBERS INCLUDING RELATIVELY LONG ARM PORTIONS, RELATIVELY SHORT ARM PORTIONS AND CONNECTING BIGHT PORTIONS, A HANDLE SECURED TO OUTER ENDS OF THE LONG ARM PORTIONS OF SAID SIDE MEMBERS, A FULCRUM PIN EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY BETWEEN OUTER ENDS OF THE SHORT ARM PORTIONS OF SAID SIDE MEMBERS, A SWINGABLE LEVER MOUNTED INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS ON SAID FULCRUM PIN, SAID LEVER HAVING FIRST AND SECOND LIMBS AND BEING SWINGABLE FROM AN OPEN POSITION WHEREIN THE FIRST LIMB THEREOF PROJECTS SUBSTANTIALLY LONGITUDINALLY OUTWARDLY FROM THE OUTER ENDS OF SAID SHORT ARM PORTIONS TO A CLOSING POSITION WHEREIN SAID FIRST LIMB IS RECEIVED IN AND PROJECTS THROUGH THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID LONG ARM PORTIONS OF THE SIDE MEMBERS, RESILIENT MEANS CONNECTED TO THE SECOND LIMB OF SAID LEVER AND BIASING THE SAME TO ITS OPEN POSITION, AND A PAIR OF FLEXIBLE LEG ENGAGING CORDS SECURED AT ONE END THEREOF TO THE RESPECTIVE LONG ARM PORTIONS AT POINTS SUBSTANTIALLY OPPOSITE THE OUTER ENDS OF THE SHORT ARM PORTIONS OF THE SIDE MEMBERS, THE OTHER END PORTIONS OF SAID CORDS BEING MUTUALLY CONVERGENT AND ANCHORED AT A COMMON POINT TO THE FREE END PORTION OF SAID FIRST LIMB OF SAID LEVER, WHEREBY THE CORDS MAY BE WRAPPED AROUND AN ANIMAL''S LEG BY SWINGING OF THE LEVER TO ITS CLOSING POSITION AGAINST THE ACTION OF SAID RESILIENT MEANS. 